


it starts with a purple hyacinth...

by Raging_Nerd



Category: Biohazard | Resident Evil (Gameverse), Resident Evil - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Breaking Up & Making Up, Coffee Shops, F/M, Flowers, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Heart-to-Heart, How Do I Tag, I Love You, I Will Go Down With This Ship, Language of Flowers, Light Angst, Light Swearing, Plants, kinda tho, so much flowers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-13
Updated: 2020-04-13
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:21:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,557
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23631526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raging_Nerd/pseuds/Raging_Nerd
Summary: “In short, I got coffee on my friend’s Toad Wii remote, and I need one of those arrangement thingies to beg for forgiveness,” she said quickly, and Carlos laughed.“I can help you with that for sure,” he said, gesturing for her to follow him.---or, the one in which jill's soulmate happens to be the cute florist from the flower shop across the street.
Relationships: Carlos Oliveira/Jill Valentine, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 82





	it starts with a purple hyacinth...

**Author's Note:**

> I love this ship so much! This was much longer than anticipated...
> 
> Please enjoy it!

She was used to the background noise at this point. Colour her stoked, she mused, editing her most recent paper. College was a pain in the ass, but her final assignment wouldn’t write itself… even with all the obnoxious laughing and conversation coming from behind her.

“I swear to God, Leon!” Claire yelled, and Jill turned to get a look at her friends huddled on the couch. Mario Kart’s Coconut Mall music played in the background, and Leon cackled, pushing what looked like Toadette out of the way. Brad and Chris laughed as well, their backs arched in a way that shouldn’t be healthy. With a sigh, Jill saved her work before pulling herself away from the seats at the front window. She sat on the arm of the couch, nudging Chris when he glanced at her.

“Who are you playing as?” she asked, frowning at the four quadrants on the screen. 

Her friend pointed to one in the bottom right corner, priding in the big number one that came with it. “I’m the green plumber, Luigi,” he replied, and Jill nodded, taking in the shade of the character’s hat and comparing it with the world around him. She sighed and Chris smiled sadly, patting her knee.

“Not much green to go by, huh?” he mused, pulling his hand away to hold his controller properly. Jill shrugged, signifying the end of their conversation.

Brad and Chris ran a coffee shop that doubled as a videogame hangout. Towards the back boasted shelves of board games, card games, and console titles alike. Claire worked as a barista, and Leon just came over because he was their friend. Jill snorted, shaking her head. 

The shop,  _ S.T.A.R.S: Games and Lattes _ , was in a decent neighbourhood. There was a tattoo parlor down the road, a convenient store on the street’s corner, along with whatever they were setting up across the street from Brad’s. Jill walked towards the window, ignoring her friends in favour of studying the new store. Despite it being 6 PM, people were still working inside, setting up various baskets and hanging plants on the walls and ceilings. She jumped when Brad walked up next to her, crossing his arms as he chuckled.

“All done gaming it out?” she mused, raising an eyebrow in his direction. Her best friend shook his head, tapping his arm. 

“For now at least, Claire had to go to the bathroom.”

Jill hummed, and their gazes soon returned to the storefront. “Do you know what they’re opening over there?” she asked, tilting her head towards the building.

“A florist shop, probably,” he said. “By the looks of it anyway. Lots of pastels and plant holders.”

The blonde scoffed. “Do you mean a pot?”

Brad chuckled, shoving her before walking away. Jill remained where she was though, hands now stuffed in the pockets of her jeans as she watched the two men inside the store move around with ease, laughing to themselves. Still, her heart skipped a beat when one of them turned to look at her, features distant from where he stood but she felt his gaze nonetheless.

With a shake of her head, she turned away, sitting down at the table again as she opened her laptop. As stated before, term papers (sadly) don’t write themselves.

**-o-**

She didn’t stop by  _ S.T.A.R.S _ for a whole two weeks after that, so understand her surprise to see the flower shop open for business. 

Her bag hung on one arm as she came to a stop in front of the coffee shop, arm resting on the door’s handle as her eyes fell on the cute white and darker white striped overhang.  _ Rainy Day Assortments _ was printed in big loopy letters on the canopy. For eight in the morning, she was mildly surprised to see them active, with a messy haired man watering the plants he had moved outside.

Fixing her bag on her shoulder, she reached for the door handle before pausing, the sound of someone clearing their throat stopping her in her tracks.

She recognized him as the guy who made eye contact with her the last time she was here.

He smiled, a wry grin pulling at his lips. “Good morning,” he said, voice carrying across the street. 

“Morning,” she echoed, frowning slightly. 

His smile grew, much to Jill’s own confusion. “You’re that girl from the window, right?” he asked, and Jill nodded. Her face morphed into one of disbelief when she glanced behind her to see Leon’s face pressed against the glass of the door.

The man shook his head, smiling as he waved his hand in dismissal. “Better attend to your friend, though,” he remarked, smile growing when Jill rolled her eyes. “Think he might break the door with how intently he’s leaning against it.”

“Yeah, yeah,” she muttered, knocking on the glass. Leon opened it quickly, yanking her inside. She pulled her hand away from him, scowling as she met his eyes. “What the fuck, Leon?” Jill hissed, gaze souring. The man shook his head, hair glittering under the light that shed through the windows.

“You were talking to  _ him, _ ” Leon spat, voice dark as he glared at the man across the street. Jill followed his gaze, waving at Claire who walked up to meet them.

“Ignore him, Jill,” she said with a smile, looping her arm with her boyfriend’s. “Besides, he’s just grumpy because I think Carlos is good looking  _ and _ really nice.”

Leon huffed at this and Jill rolled her eyes. “I mean, he isn’t that bad to look at,” she mumbled, glancing out the window.  _ Carlos _ was still there, fixing some of the flowers that had been put on display. He looked up at the three of them, and Claire waved through the window.

“What do you mean, not that bad?” Leon exclaimed. “His hair is a mop!”

“A good looking mop,” Claire retorted, pecking his cheek. “And don’t forget to pick up the art supplies Sherry asked for, okay,” she added. Leon sighed, punching Jill’s shoulder before wandering to the backroom.

Claire smiled tentatively, looking at Jill. “Do you mind helping me with some baking before you start your work?” she asked, and Jill shrugged, dropping her bag and coat on her regular seat.

When she looked out the window again, Carlos was gone.

**-o-**

Jill wouldn’t lie. She did jump when the chimes above her head jingled, announcing her entrance to everyone else in the store.

It was fairly empty, save for the older lady looking at an arrangement and the Hispanic man leaning on the counter. He perked up when he saw her, a smile appearing on his face once again.

“If it isn’t the window lady,” Carlos said, oddly chipper for the early hour. “Welcome to Rainy Day Assortments. We hope you can find what you’re looking for,” he added, gesturing to the many floral displays. 

“It’s Jill,” she corrected, nodding as the man raised an eyebrow in her direction. She sighed then, leaning on the front desk. “Okay fine. I’ve heard rumors of flowers holding secret messages, and if it’s true, I need your help,” she added, and Carlos propped his arm on the counter as well, resting his face in his palm.

“So what’d you do, Jill?” he asked, and she forced herself to ignore the way his messy, unruly hair fell into dark eyes. Instead, she gave her best account from the situation the night before. 

It was late, and she was probably drinking her fifth cup of coffee when Brad came up from behind her, voice too loud for the time of night, and in her shock, she turned to face him all too quickly, coffee cup squished between the two of them.

Of course, she hadn’t thought much of it, until she saw the unmistakable shape of a Wii remote emerge from the chaos. Disoriented and delirious, she watched as Brad began to cry, face flushed from the beer he and Chris were sharing. She had winced then, patting his back as whimpers of Wii Motion Plus fell from his lips.

“In short, I got coffee on my friend’s Toad Wii remote, and I need one of those arrangement thingies to beg for forgiveness,” she said quickly, and Carlos laughed.

“I can help you with that for sure,” he said, gesturing for her to follow him. He led her through various rows of plants, from the potted flower, classic succulent, and the cute overhanging ones you see in the Pinterest pictures. When they stopped, Jill took the liberty to palm the hyacinths Carlos was currently looking at, leaning over to get an idea of what they smelled like. She watched as he pulled a sheet of paper out of his pocket, shifting over slightly to watch the colour names listed. He chuckled when she gasped, and her lighter irises met his darker ones.

“I’ve never seen so many distinguished colours in one place,” Jill said, awe laced in her voice as she looked at the paper again. She ignored the feeling of Carlos’ gaze on her, pointing at a particular shade. “This looks like purple,” she added, pointing at a lighter variation of the colour.

Carlos nodded, a pleased smile replacing his small frown. “Very good!” he said, picking up a purple hyacinth. “My friend Tyrell made this for me a few years ago. I was having a hard time distinguishing colours apart since I can’t see them. Turns out seeing black and white isn’t much help when you’re a florist.”

It was his turn to ignore Jill’s frown, stuffing the sheet in his pocket. “A bouquet of these should get the point across just fine,” he said, smiling again, and Jill dismissed the heat in her cheeks to the environment they were in.

“I think I’ll take one, although…” she met Carlos’ gaze again, lips pursed. “Why purple hyacinths?”

He seemed to brighten, rubbing his neck bashfully. “Ah, sorry about that, I forgot to explain,” he said apologetically. ‘“Purple hyacinths mean ‘please forgive me,’ in the florist’s language, so by presenting him with a bouquet of these would be enough to show him the point you’re trying to make.”

Jill nodded, following after him when he made his way to a desk off to the side, placing the single hyacinth on the worn desktop. He reappeared from the backroom with a handful of flowers, winking at her before turning his attention to the plants in front of him. She missed his comment, watching as he assembled the flowers sporadically, only to bring them together with a band. After a while, he reached under the counter for a vase, slipping the stems into the water-filled glass. He wrapped a white ribbon around the throat of the vase.

Her eyes widened when he walked her over to the front desk, tapping the base of the now finished flower arrangement, as Jill frowned at the unfamiliar flower scattered throughout the bouquet.

“Acacias,” Carlos offered, sensing her confusion. “I thought I’d add it in since they symbolize friendship,” he added as Jill tapped her debit card. She smiled, expression matching his own.

“Thank you so much,” she said, glancing across the street. Sure enough, the cafe was opened and Brad was visible through the storefront’s window. She sighed, reaching for the vase. “I’m sure he’ll love it,” Jill said, voice full of relief as her hands wrapped around the base of the vase, finger barely brushing that of the florist’s before her world was flooded with colour.

She flinched, much like when she got a whiff of the shop the first time she stepped inside. 

Jill watched as Carlos’ mouth opened and closed, eyes just as wide as her own as he stared down at her. His hand, warm like the lattes Brad gave her when she was sad or the blanket she snuggled with on cold nights, reached towards her and she backed away. She regretted it just as quickly, shoulders slumping at the hurt that flashed across his face.

“I have to go,” she muttered, walking towards the door. She heard Carlos follow after her, the sound of his feet hitting the floor seeming to pull her back.

“Jill, wait,” he pleaded, but she wouldn’t have it, running across the street and into the safe haven that was  _ S.T.A.R.S. _ She didn’t stop when the patrons inside turned towards her, fleeing into the backroom where Leon stood up to meet her.

“Jill what’s wrong?” he asked, holding her shoulders. Brad stormed in a second later, the same question falling from his lips. Jill shoved the arrangement towards him, mumbling something about a Wii remote before she slumped against Leon, a sob leaving her frame. “Jill, talk to us,” Leon said, his voice carrying the same pain Carlos’ seemed to have.

“Valentine, what the fuck is going on?” Brad hissed, and she finally looked up then, taking a deep breath as she hugged herself.

Without addressing his question, she turned to Leon, determination filling her very soul as she remembered the sheet of paper Carlos had. 

“Your eyes are blue,” she remarked, laughing wryly. “They match mine. See?” Jill pulled her phone out of her pocket, turning it to selfie mode. And there she was, side by side with Leon as two pairs of blue eyes and matching sets of dirty blonde hair made themselves visible.

“Your soulmate,” digital-Leon said, and Jill turned to look at the real one beside her. “You met him and you’re panicking.”

“Maybe,” she muttered, opening her mouth to speak when a yell from outside stopped all conversation.

Brad apologized quickly, rubbing Jill’s back before disappearing out the door, the voices of customers drawing him back to reality.

“Oh god,” Jill said, holding her head. “I just left him like that.” Leon sighed, wrapping his arm around her as she leaned against him.

“How about we get you something to eat, and we can worry about your not so awesome soulmate later, hm?”

She was too tired to argue, grief filling her chest when the flower shop became visible again.

**-o-**

She avoided him for a month.

Whether it was a fleeting glance, a disassociated hello, or a brisk nod in his general direction, Jill didn’t go out of her way to speak to him. 

She liked to say it was because all the colours became more vibrant when she was around him, making the stupid florist seem to glow against whatever he stood against. The colours made her nauseous, sick to the stomach at the world as it seemed to finally boast the glory that was hidden from her for so long.

Still, she took it upon herself to memorize as many colours as she could, drowning herself in the prehistoric rainbow as she began to label the things around her. Her bedsheet was blue, her laptop cover was a deep magenta, her shower curtain was seafoam, Sherry’s hair clip was pink, Mr. Skittles was an assortment of colours, but she found that she couldn’t stop labelling things.

She thought of him often, staring too intently in her coffee one day after she decided it was a deep, dark brown. It was then she realized she was wrong. Carlos’ skin wasn’t like a latte or the blanket she used on cold days. It was more like the colour of sand, kissed by the sun to give it a golden glow. Perhaps it was like one of the colours mixed into the granite rocks Chris was so fond of.

Or maybe (just maybe) Carlos’ skin was uniquely Carlos… much like the dark of his coffee coloured eyes.

She tried to ignore this realization, but how could she when she loved staring into the depths of her mug, getting lost in it for all eternity.

And then Jill realized what she had to do.

**-o-**

“Uh, Jill?” 

The woman, in turn, looked behind her to see Sherry, standing quickly to help with the giant bouquet she held in her hands. Jill ignored the soft thanks, placing the flower arrangement on the table. Sherry walked up next to her, pulling herself up into the chair beside Jill.

“The guy said it was for you and there’s a letter on it,” Sherry said, perching her head on her propped elbows. Jill glanced at her but reached for the letter anyway. She didn’t recognize Carlos’ handwriting but decided she could get used to it, palming the petal of a purple hyacinth, the damn flower that caused this mess.

_ “The white ones are violets, the pink ones are sweet Williams, and the yellow one is a tulip. You should already know what the purple hyacinth says, try to figure out the other three.” _

“What does it say?” Sherry asked, and Jill passed the note to her.

“It’s a puzzle,” Jill mumbled, opening a new tab as she searched for each flower’s meaning. Sherry was talking, but the blonde didn’t hear it, lost to the stupid mystery Carlos threw her in.

The purple hyacinths were used as an apologetic symbol, but to place them among such vibrant flowers through her off. She frowned when she found the meaning for the white violet… a chance at happiness? Pushing the thought away, she glanced at the yellow tulip, blushing when the result appeared on the screen. He thought there was sunshine in her smile? Jill scoffed, ignoring Sherry’s giggling and the heat in her cheeks.

It didn’t last very long as the sweet Williams definition only made her blush worsen.

“This is ridiculous!” She huffed, pushing the laptop away. Sherry reached for it, smiling as she read it.

“He wants you to smile for him!” She exclaimed, and Jill rolled her eyes, ruffling her hair. 

Sherry wasn’t wrong, though, and as much as Jill wanted to deny it, this whole  _ soulmate _ thing really started to grate on her nerves. On one hand, she wanted to forget she even met him, pushing away the ever present memory of the moment her hand touched his, the world bathed in light in the blink of an eye. 

But on the other? 

She couldn’t identify it yet, but a part of her wanted to go back… to peek inside and see what was happening, to see if he was still smiling, to see if he still had that chipper air to him. No matter what she told herself, a part of her desperately wanted to go see him again.

With a sigh, she looked at Sherry. “If a guy ever gives you a flower bouquet, make sure to look at what each flower means,” she mumbled, sitting next to the child as she watched the arrangement.

**-o-**

She still heard Claire’s laughter when she marched over to the flower shop the next day, unexplained adrenaline coursing through her veins.

So you can understand her shock when an African-American man greeted her instead of the tall, mess of a soulmate she was expecting.

“You must be Jill,” he said, watching for a reaction as her eyebrows furrowed together. He seemed to remember himself, moving away from the flower he was attending to walk towards her. “I’m Tyrell. Carlos has told me a shit ton about you, that’s for sure,” he said, gaze void of emotion.

Her frown deepened, but she did remember Tyrell from past conversations. “You’re the one that gave Carlos the colour cheat sheet,” she replied, trying and failing to ignore the colours around the shop. The scent filled her lungs once again, almost lifting her off the ground as a familiar euphoria caused her to sway.

Tyrell sighed, gesturing for her to follow him. She did so without complaint, waiting for the shop to become brighter. When it didn’t, Tyrell watched her sigh, pointing at the seat next to the checkout counter.

“Carlos isn’t here, is he?” Jill asked, resting her head in her palm.

“No, and I’m glad he’s not,” Tyrell said, voice curt as he stared down at her. “Now, I don’t know much about you from what Carlos said, but what you pulled was absolute horse shit.”

Jill frowned, eyes narrowing as she met his glare. “Excuse me?”

“Carlos is my best friend, and you hurt him, so yeah, I’m mad at you,” Tyrell added, raising a hand when Jill opened her mouth to speak. “But I understand where you’re coming from.” He leaned on the counter, fiddling with a string on his shirt. “This soulmate thing is bullshit. When I met mine, I can’t lie and say I didn’t do what you did. The idea of a predetermined significant other is baffling and disgusting, to me at least.”

He glanced at her, continuing when she didn’t argue. “But once you meet your soulmate, it’s hard to ignore they’re there. I mean, you can bitch and moan all you want before you meet them, but when you do--” he laughed dryly. “--it’s hard to move on without constantly thinking about them.”

Tyrell stood straight then, clasping the edge of the counter. “Now, I’m not telling you you have to date my best friend. In fact, that would be horribly rude of me. I’m just telling you that you should probably consider making things right. I can only take him coming over to my apartment so many times before I want to kick his ass.”

Jill chuckled, nodding somberly. “I realized that… it’s why I came. He sent me a floral arrangement?” she said, disbelief evident in her voice.

Tyrell snorted, shaking his head. “That wasn’t Carlos. That was me. I needed to get this ball rolling a lot quicker.” He ignored Jill’s shock, waving his hand. “So I’m kinda hoping you came over here to tell me that you need a bouquet made to show him just how much of a pain you were,” he joked, and Jill smiled.

“Something along those lines,” she mumbled, feeling lighter as she followed Tyrell to the back of the store.

**-o-**

The arrangement was perfect if not cheesy and sentimental. 

She had decided to send him the exact same one Tyrell sent her, white violets, yellow tulips, purple hyacinths, and sweet Williams in all their springtime glory. The picture he sent to her was beautiful, showcasing the flowers in a glass vase. It might’ve been simple, but still gorgeous nonetheless, she thought, palming the now dying hyacinths that sat on the countertop at  _ S.T.A.R.S. _

She hadn’t gotten a reply though, which only spiked her concern.

Tyrell told her the bouquet was presented about a week ago, and she had seen Carlos around ever since. She tried to wave, smile, and do all the stupid shit she saw them do in the dumb Hallmark movies Leon and Claire made her watch, but nothing seemed to catch his attention.

Either way, Jill appreciated the return of his glow, finding comfort in his vibrance even if it was from a distance.

Today found her sitting at her usual table, doing some reading on plant care with Sherry. The girl had taken to Tyrell’s flower arrangement rather quickly, and had gotten her father to buy a small succulent for her. Said succulent sat between the two of them as it bathed in the afternoon light.

“Are you sure the plant needs this much sun, Sherry?” Jill asked, glancing up from the article on succulents the two of them were reading.

“His name is Austin, and yes, he needs all the sun he can get,” she said, pulling the plant towards her. Sherry paused, looking up at Jill. “Has Carlos said anything yet?” she asked, eyes wide as she looked at the older woman.

Jill laughed, shaking her head. “Not in the slightest, but I kind of deserve it,” she replied, missing the way Sherry’s eyes brightened comically as she pointed out the window. 

“Is that him!?” she asked, voice kicking up an octave as she grew excited. Jill turned, shock pulling at her features as she watched Carlos run across the street, a frown marring his features. Jill stood quickly, running a finger through her dirty blonde hair as Sherry practically bounced in her seat.

Carlos pulled the door open, barely stepping inside when his eyes fell on her. Relief replaced his frown, an easy smile tugging at his lips. Jill ignored the fluttering in her stomach, walking towards him.

“You mind if I talk to you outside for a sec?” he asked, but Sherry was pushing her outside before she could reply.

The street was relatively silent when they stepped outside, an awkward tension hanging above their heads as Carlos gripped the sheet of paper in his hands. He looked down at her, and Jill admittedly found herself getting lost in his coffee coloured irises. With a sigh, she spoke.

“I’m sorry,” she said, clasping her hands in front of her. “I shouldn’t have left like that, it was wrong of me but I was afraid of--” she gestured to him, moving her hand up and down, “--whatever this was.”

She relished in his smile, finding herself doing the same when he began to laugh.

“I get it, no worries.”

The silence was uncomfortable now that it was back. It didn't last very long, lost to Carlos’ voice when he filled it in. “I was hoping we could start over. Back to before I scared you out of the flower shop over there,” he said, jerking his thumb in the direction of Rainy Day.

Jill took a deep breath, nodding. “I wouldn’t mind,” she said, smiling when he did. He pushed the paper towards her, revealing the sheet of colours.

It looked so much better now, with so many variations and rainbows adorning the page, dragging her finger along the purple path before looking up at him. “It’s prettier now,” she said quietly, grinning when he began to laugh, colour cheat sheet shifting as he did.

**-o-**

Soulmates are stupid, Jill thought, turning off her alarm. It’s like what Tyrell said about a year ago: “predetermined significant others are baffling and disgusting.” She never liked to think about them, ignoring the concept all together whenever it was brought up in conversation.

But now?

She turned over in bed, laughing quietly at the unamused grumble that fell from Carlos’ lips. His stupid, unruly, messy hair fell into his eyes, and Jill moved them away to get a better look at his face. 

Carlos was perfect. He was a romantic at heart with an uncanny way with words, who adored late night movies and a home cooked meal on Wednesdays. He was ever different from her, though. While Jill preferred things done in certain ways, Carlos was spontaneous and sporadic, his approach to life contradicting her own.

Even so, they made it work, she mused, threading her fingers with the hand that lay between them both. 

Their flat was covered in flowers. Whether it be a book on arrangements or a literal bouquet sitting in the kitchen, the duo could never seem to escape them no matter how hard they tried.

She smiled when he looked at her, scoffing as he pulled her towards him.

And maybe (just maybe) Jill might have to thank that stupid purple hyacinth for starting the mess she came to adore.

**FIN**

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading!! It means the world to me that this side of the fandom is so kind and sweet! Leave a comment, leave a kudo! Let me know what you all thought! I definitely struggled with this one.
> 
> Much love! Stay Safe <3


End file.
